Friends with benefits, and more
by IThinkIJustGleedMyself
Summary: A/U - Finn Hudson and Rachel Berry break off their "friends with benefits" title to stop it from ruining their friendship. But their friendship is truly tested when she sees the two little blue lines...


**Yes, another long one-shot! They're my favourite! This particular one was requested by _didn'tstopbelieving _or_ mckinleystarcouple_ on tumblr. Thank you again for the suggestion. It's from the finchel-prompts tumblr.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>She wakes at around eight, Finn's arm wrapped around her stomach as he snores loudly. Groaning, she slides out of his grasp and starts searching for her clothes. "Where are you?" she groans, looking around Finn's messy dorm.<p>

"Where's what?" the man himself asks, eyeing her naked figure and making no effort to hide his arousal. With a raised eyebrow, she stares at him. "What? It's early morning and you're just prancing around my room butt naked!"

"Because I can't find my clothes!"

He groans, rolling over in his bed and taking the pillow with him. Rachel narrows her eyes, picking up one of his socks, balling the object and throwing it at him. "Rach," he begins, flinching when she does it again, "Stop it!"

"Next time it'll be your shoe," she warns, "and I'll aim for lower down. Now – if you're finished slumbering – help me to find my clothes so that I can get dressed and go to class." She puts on his shirt as she searches, bored of him staring at her like she's a piece of meat. Her friend remains motionless in the middle of the bed and, with a small smirk, she begins to crawl on top of him.

"Hmm," he says, feeling his shirt on her, "what the hell is this? I won't allow it in my room." His hands roam her thighs whilst hers slips down to find his already erect member and she runs her finger slowly along the shaft, biting her bottom lip sexily when he groans. "I thought," he sighs, "that you were," pause, "looking for your clothes."

Slipping next to him under the cover, she pulls off his shirt and forces her torso against his. "They can wait," she tells him, eyes closed. Grinning like an idiot, he grabs her ass, squeezing greedily and smiles when she moans against his chest. She slides her arms around his neck, pulling him in for a heat kiss as he rubs his erection against her leg, begging for friction. "_Finn_," she whines, "I need this. Please."

He rolls them over so that her petite form falls on top of her, her erect nipples brushing over his chest. Finn kisses her once more, tongue trailing along her bottom lip as he grasps a breast in each hand. "Condom," she manages to get out and watches as he scrambles inside his bedside draw and finally produces the needed package. He tears it open with her teeth and hands over the condom.

She rubs his erection a few times, smiling as he groans loudly and then rolls the condom down onto it. Rachel smirks before taking hold of his manhood and sinking down onto him, her mouth falling open in pleasure whilst he moans. "Move baby," he breathes, staring up at her with a dopey smile. Rachel begins to rock back and forth, her hands set on his chest as Finn holds onto her hips tightly.

The door slams open and, with a loud squeal, she falls off of Finn and pulls the cover with her. His roommate, Puck, steps in and smirks over at them, "fitting in a quickie before you go to class?" He raises his eyebrow, seemingly not bothered by the fact that Finn and Rachel are both naked and that they were just having sex.

"Fuck off, Puckerman," Finn groans. With a chuckle Puck walks over to his bed and starts to search for something underneath.

"Don't worry," he says, "you two can get back to bumping uglies soon. I just need to find my textbook."

Rachel stares at him, "you keep it under your bed?"

"Yeah," he shrugs, "I don't wanna lose it, do I?" She rolls her eyes, impatiently waiting for him to leave the room so that she and Finn can resume where they left off. Once he stands back up, textbook in hands, he turns to them, "hey, I –"

"_Out_!" they point to the door in unison and he groans, leaving the room slowly. Rachel curls into Finn's chest and he sighs softly, "sorry about that. I didn't think that he'd be coming back so soon."

"It's fine," she brushes it off, "now where were we?"

* * *

><p>She quickly leaves her English class, grinning when she sees Finn in the hallway and he waves her over. Her path, however, is blocked by Jesse St James. He shares all her classes, as well as he Broadway ambitions, but unfortunately has a personality leaving lots to be desired. Still, he's easy on the eyes, she supposes.<p>

"You, me, dinner this Friday?" he raises an eyebrow, smirking at her.

Rachel's eyes switch over to Finn, his forehead crumpled as he watches the exchange between her and Jesse. "I'd love to – "

He beams, almost blinding her with enthusiasm, "great!"

"_But_ I can't. I've got to study for a big test," she nods, trying to be more convincing. Before he can speak again, she scurries away from him.

"We don't have any tests," Jesse says to himself, shaking his head and carrying on to class. Rachel joins Finn with a bright smile, though he looks beyond pissed.

"Why were you talking to Jesse?" he demands to know and she rolls her eyes, used to seeing him like this. Ever since they first shacked up, Finn had been overly protective which, whilst nice sometimes, could really get on her nerves.

She places a hand on his arm, calming him down. "Finn," she tells him softly, "it doesn't matter. I said no. And, even if I did say yes, that's okay because I'm _single_."

"Yeah, but we're fuck buddies," he gestures between the two of them and she blushes as he says it in the open, a few people nearby turning to stare from his words. He's right though. The two of them had been having sex for four months now, ever since one of Puck's famous parties. They're just best friends though, and insist on that. Rachel hates explaining it to people, telling them that they don't actually date but just sleep together on a regular basis – whenever they can both find any free time really. And she likes it this way. It's not complicated and they don't have to deal with what actual couples do. It's really just lots and lots of sex, which neither is complaining about.

"Finn," she shakes her head softly, "I told you. It's _friends with benefits_. I don't like the other one." He chuckles because she's probably the only nineteen year old he knows who doesn't like to swear.

"_Fine_," he relents, sending a smirk in her direction, "are you free tonight?"

"I'm sorry," she frowns, clutching her books tighter to get chest, "I'm babysitting for the Schuester's again. Any money that'll pay towards the future, right?" Her job isn't that bad, she supposes, but it's not exactly the most ideal way to be spending her Friday night – stuck in some house with a pair of four year old twin boys who get giddy from anything.

"Oh," he sounds disappointed but quickly covers up with a smile, "tomorrow then?"

"I've got to rehearse my lines…"

He's much more eager now, perking up at the possibilities, "I'll help you!"

Rachel's more than a little wary because whenever they try to study together, it usually ends in neither concentrating on the work and more each other. Maybe this time he won't distract her… "I guess so," she tells him, "but it's really important, Finn. I can't forget my lines whilst on stage!"

"Hey, don't worry," he wraps his arm around her shoulder, "your best friend is here to make sure that that doesn't happen, right?"

"You're my only friend," she states, "apart from Quinn but she's my roommate so she's obligated really." She naturally leans into his chest, smiling as she does so and they begin to walk down the hallway.

"Lots of people like you," he argues, though he knows inside that maybe there's a little truth in her words. Sometimes her ambition scares people away and she's always had trouble making friends because of it. Rachel pulls a face, already aware that he's lying to make her feel better. "_I_ like you," he says quietly, giving her shoulder a small squeeze.

She beams, "and that's all I ask for."

Rachel notices Finn eyeing the Janitor's closet, or what used to be the Janitor's closet, now a storage space which nobody uses. He turns to her, shifting a little nervously on his feet, "when's your next class?"

"A couple of hours," she says quickly, the same idea slipping into her mind. Finn smirks and, before she realises, he's practically dragging her to the closet, locking it closed behind him.

* * *

><p>A few days later, she creeps into her dorm at a little past one, surprised to see her roommate awake at such an early hour. "Hey," she whispers, walking over to her bed and dropping her bag onto her bed, "I thought that you'd be asleep."<p>

The girl peers up from her desk where she's hunched over some textbooks. "I wanted to talk to you," she says sweetly. Rachel freezes, slightly worried by the inclination in Quinn's voice though still moves to sit closer to her, crossing her legs as she sits on Quinn's bed.

"What do you want to talk about?" she begins to tie her hair up into a high pony tail.

Her friend sighs. "Rachel," she says, "I'm worried about you."

"Why are you worried?" her brow furrows together as she stares at the blonde in confusion.

Quinn pauses, taking a moment to absorb Rachel's reaction, "it's about you and Finn." Rachel immediately frowns, wondering why Quinn is interested in that at all. It's no secret to anyone that the pair fool around, as much as they possibly can, but it's never really been brought up, at least not to her. Maybe if her best friend was someone other than the guy she's sleeping with, it'd be a different situation completely. Still, her heart beats a little faster as Quinn mentions Finn.

She averts her gaze away from Quinn. "Go on," she tells her, wrapping her arms around her legs and resting her chin on her knees.

"I wasn't going to say anything," the blonde admits, "when you two first started…_whatever_ you want to call it, but it's been over two months. What are you _doing_?"

She begins to shake her head, "I don't understand…"

"Rachel, don't you have any self-respect?" she moves to join her on the bed, "This thing with Finn – it's going to ruin everything. What happens when you start getting feelings for him, but you can't do anything about it because he only sees you as a girl to sleep with?"

"Finn would never –"

"How do you know? He's a twenty year old guy, you'd be surprised as to what he thinks."

She bites her lower lip as she considers Quinn's words. Yes – she understand that Finn's a guy and his mind isn't nearly as clean as she'd like to think, but he's never just _use_ her. They were best friends before they started sleeping together and they'll be best friends after too. Nothing is going to change that.

"I'm not saying that you should call it off," Quinn says quickly, shaking her hands and staring honestly into Rachel's eyes, "I just want you to consider what it's doing to your friendship." She gives a small smile, "you're my friend, Rachel, and I don't want to see you getting hurt."

Rachel nods in understanding, returning the smile, "thank you. You've given me a lot to think about…" She hesitates, "I'm going to hug you now." Quinn chuckles, slipping into Rachel's arm. When they pull apart, she slowly stands up and goes to grab some pyjamas. "Well, I'm gonna get ready for bed. It's been a long night." She doesn't mention to Quinn that she'd spent it in Finn's dorm and hurries into their shared bathroom, her words heavy on her mind.

* * *

><p>Rachel feels a little sick as she walks to his dorm, wishing that Quinn wasn't right. But she is, and Rachel doesn't want to lose Finn's friendship – she can deal without the sex, yet the thought of not having him there as her best friend is almost painful.<p>

She knocks on the door, her fingers furiously when she hears him shout, "it's open." Slowly entering, she forces on a tight smile and looks upon Finn, who is lay on his bed throwing a football up and down. He does it when he's bored, she notices, but he sits up when he sees her and drops the item to the floor.

His bright eyes lock onto her and she lets out a quiet, "hey."

"You're here early," he smirks, standing up to meet her. He's a good foot taller than her and she cranes her neck to be able to see him properly, unable not to grin at his expression, "don't you normally tutor on Monday afternoons?"

"I cancelled my appointments," she shifts from one foot to another, averting her eyes from his face. Before she has time to think, his strong arms are around her and she's hoisted from the ground before he throws her onto the bed, pinning down her body with his own. "Finn!" she squeals when he starts to nibble the skin on her, his tongue tracing patterns and sending shivers up her spine.

His hands are already sliding up her thighs and she's almost too distracted to remember what she was going to say to him – _almost_.

"Finn, please. Just stop for a second." She straightens out her hair and sits up, leaning back against the headboard of his bed.

He looks a little hurt yet nods. "Oh, okay."

Rachel timidly smiles, reaching out to take his hands in hers. "Let's talk," she tells him sweetly and he noticeably gulps, his Adams apple bobbing slowly. He nods, his face hesitant but he doesn't do anything to stop her from speaking. "These past few weeks with you have been amazing – I've never had such a good friend as you and, you know, _physically_ it's very satisfying too." Finn blushes and smiles to himself. "But I've been thinking…"

"You're breaking it off." It isn't a question. He can see it in her eyes.

"Yes," she replies sadly, quickly adding, "it's not anything to do with you. I mean, you've been _great_." She's unable to stop the smirk from sliding onto her face. "I just – I don't want it to come between us as friends, do you understand?"

With a sigh, he stares into her eyes. "Yeah… I-I do." He looks just as sad as her but she knows that it's the right thing to do. Finn reaches out a hand, cupping her chin gently between his fingers, "I'll miss this though."

"I know," she clings onto his arm, as if afraid that he'll let go, "but it'll give us a chance to do other things – see other people."

Finn raises his eyebrows in surprise, "you w-want to date other people?"

"Well, there's always the chance that I might." She shrugs, "not now, but in the future, maybe."

"We're really doing this then. We're just," he pauses, "going to stop?"

Rachel sighs shakily," yeah, I guess that we are."

"Why now?" he asks, appearing a little hurt and confused, "why are you doing this now?"

Squeezing his hand tightly, she finds herself leaning closer to him until she's caught in a hug against his chest. "We need to stop before it's too late," she says, neglecting to tell him about the conversation with Quinn, "this is harder than I thought it would be. I mean, what am I going to do in my spare time now?" He chuckles along with her until he becomes noticeably silent.

"Finn?" she questions, staring up at him.

She notices the look that he's giving her, his eyes slowly trailing over her body. "Do you think that we should – um, for one last time – you know, it'd be a good way to stop it…"

She's stares straight back at him, time almost slowly as the only thing she hears is her own heartbeat. "One last time?" she asks shyly.

"And then that's it," he agrees, "we'll call it quits."

"Okay," she breathes, hungrily kissing him with the reminder that this is only ever going to happen again once. She better make it worth it.

* * *

><p>It's been a week since they broke off their friends with benefits title and she miserably walks through the hallway, her eyes downcast and no smile to be found. Finn's been more distant than usual and it's beginning to worry her. Have they made a mistake? Or maybe Quinn's right – maybe all he wanted from her was sex.<p>

A pair of familiar feeling arms slides around her waist and she lets herself smile. "hey Finn." They've always been this comfortable around each other, even when they were just friends though she supposes that they're back to that now.

"Hey," his hot breath is on her neck, "you okay?"

"Hmm," she smiles, spinning around so that she's facing him. "How've you been? I haven't really seen you a lot lately."

He clears his throat, voice a little high as he says, "yeah. I've been good. You still need me to run through your lines with you?"

She beams because maybe everything can go back to normal. "Sure!" she says, her mood suddenly uplifted, "well, I'm free tonight so…"

His face falls, eyes moving away from her face. "Oh, well…I can't do it _tonight_ but maybe another night or during the day." She knows this voice – the one that he uses to lie to his tutors when he's "forgotten" his work when really he's not even finished but she never expected it to be used to with.

"Finn," she says hesitantly, "what's going on? Do you not want to spend time with me?" Her heart is beating fast, so much that she can hardly hear each individual one.

"No, of course I do!" he quickly backpedals. "I just," he closes his eyes, unable to look at her when he says it, "I've got a date."

"Oh." She's kinda floored.

"Y-you said that we should see other people," he explains. She searches his face, hoping that he doesn't notice the hurt in hers. In all honesty, she expected it to be weeks before he even started thinking about dating and, of course, he'd talk to her about it. But it's okay because he's her best friend and she should be happy if he's happy – and she'd never do anything to jeopardise that.

Rachel forces out a smile, though it doesn't reach her eyes. "Finn, it's okay. You're right – it's good that you're seeing other people. It's over between us and we're going to remain as friends so don't worry about me. I'll always be here supporting you." He gives a loud sigh of relief. "Were you worried?" she asks curiously.

He hoists his backpack up higher, "I just didn't want to hurt your feelings."

She chuckles, subconsciously straightening out his shirt for him, "why would it bother me that you have a girlfriend? I'm happy for you."

"Really?"

"Yup," she says, completely lying. It's only been a week and he's already with somebody else – not that they were ever together other than him literally _in_ her. But still, she can't help than feel disheartened at the fact that maybe she's not the most important girl in his life anymore. They begin walking down the corridor towards his dorm, "who is the lucky girl then?"

He smiles uneasily, "oh, it's Quinn."

For the second time in a matter of minutes, she doesn't have any words.

* * *

><p>She bursts into their shared dorm with her expression torn between anger and hurt. How dare she! Quinn was the one who encouraged her to break it off with Finn and now, the reason is pretty damn obvious. She feels stupid and used and <em>why<em> did she listen to Quinn? So what if she and Finn were having sex? That's _their_ business. But not anymore as she's let that…that _bitch_ lie to her.

"You're _dating_ him!" she screeches as her so called friend, who is curling her hair.

"I was wondering when he was going to tell you," she says calmly, ignoring the fact that Rachel is livid, glaring at the girl with almost hatred in her eyes.

The brunette stumbles over her words, "but you…y-you convince _me_ to call it off with him so t-that…"

"So that I can date him," she says honestly, her voice cold. "Yes, Rachel. That's exactly what I did and I'd do it again." She releases her hair from the curling iron, the blonde locks coiled perfectly . "Did you really not realise?"

"I thought that you were my friend," she whispers.

"I am," Quinn comes back, "and, as your friend, I think it's my place to tell you that Finn's too good for you."

"Oh," she scoffs, "and you're good enough for him, are you? With your perfect looks and perfect life and – "

She cuts her across, "yes, I am actually. And I'm not messing with his head."

Rachel scrunches up her face in confusion and annoyance, "messing with his head? Quinn, I would never do that! Finn is my _best friend_."

"He was hurt," she suddenly says, baring down at Rachel as though she's inferior to her, "about you giving up your little nights together. And me," she points to herself, "I was there for him." She stares at the girl in disbelief. Is this really happening? Quinn told _her_ to stop it with Finn and used it as a reason to become his girlfriend with complete disregard to either's feelings. When had Quinn become so manipulative? Who is this girl standing in front of her?

"I can't believe that you'd do this," she says and she means it because she thought that Quinn was so sweet. Apparently not.

Quinn shakes her head, smiling maliciously, "yeah, well – you shouldn't be so naïve."

"I'm no –"

"Yes you are!" she yells, "you live in your own little fairy tale where you and Finn get your happily ever after, where you think that everyone is going to be nice to you. Well, they're not Rachel. And people take what they want. I wanted Finn and I took him from you – it was so easy. You," she says, "just believe everything that you're told."

She begins to shake her head, arms crossed angrily across her chest. "Why are you saying this? Isn't it bad enough that you've already stolen my best friend but now you want to rub it in?" Rachel fights to blink back her tears.

"I'm just making sure that the message is clear," she says, "he may be your best friend, but he's my boyfriend and, I'm willing to bet that without the sex he'll be forgetting all about you in a few weeks."

"You're wrong," she shakes her head.

"You just watch," Quinn says certainly, "Finn isn't yours anymore Rachel. Forget about him."

She isn't going to forget about him. She'll _never_ forget about him.

Rachel ignores the smug look that Quinn is sending her way, "I don't care what you say Quinn – Finn and I are best friends and there's nothing that you can do about it. Now, if you excuse me, I'd rather not be around deceitful bitches."

The blonde lets out a gasp, shouting as Rachel storms from the room, finally letting the tears fall. She doesn't know where she's going but her feet carry her regardless. It's only when she hurtles full throttle into somebody else that she stops, a blubbering mess. "I'm so sorry," she says, wiping her eyes and glancing up to see… "Jesse!"

"Rachel," he says, clearly concerned for her wellbeing, "what's wrong?"

She lowers her head, letting more tears fall from her eyes. When he begins to lead her to his dorm, she doesn't resist and only leans against him, afraid that without his support she wouldn't even be able to walk properly.

* * *

><p>"So," Finn slips into the seat beside her as she tries to write her English essay in the library, "I hear that you and Jesse St James went for a date a few days ago."<p>

She turns to him, her face remaining indifferent as she observes his reaction. He doesn't look too upset, but he's doing that thing with his mouth when he's trying to hide his feelings. "Well, you heard right," she says curtly, returning to look through her notes. "Not that it's any of your business of course."

Finn narrows his eyes at her, "since when did something important in your life not become my business? We look out for each other – that's our _job,_ Rach." When she doesn't offer any reply, he sighs, "why're you dating him of all people? He's a douche."

"Finn!" she hisses, "that's my _boyfriend_, thank you very much."

"I thought that you weren't interested in him," he argues, "you told me that."

"Things change," she shrugs, "and Jesse is a very… passionate individual – much like myself."

He rolls his eyes, "but you can do better than him!"

Rachel gives him an incredulous stare, "you don't even know him. And you can't tell me who I can date or not. Would you just break up with Quinn if I asked you to?" He hesitates, his mouth opening and closing before shaking his head.

"B-but she's _awesome_," he stresses, "she's really hot and she's a great kisser and don't even get me _started_ about the sex."

"I'm glad. Isn't she just a catch?" she says though clenched teeth.

Finn nods instantly, a little too eager for her to fully believe, "and I should thank you for, you know, calling off this fuck buddies thing that we had going because then I would have never been able to see how great Quinn is."

"Friends with benefits," she corrects with the roll of her eyes, but it doesn't deter from the hurt that tears at her heart at his words. He's _happy_. Quinn's making him happy. "And that's wonderful. When's the wedding?" she asks sarcastically.

He smirks, "you're just jealous because you and Jesse could never share what Quinn and I have."

"Finn," she raises her eyebrow, "you're been dating her for _two_ weeks, not two years."

He moves closer to her, his shoulder brushing firmly against hers and they haven't been this close for days. She misses her best friend, but every time she tries to spend time with him, he wants his _awesome_ girlfriend there too. After just staring at her for, like, three whole minutes, he sighs and slowly gets up. "I'll see you around, Rach," he pats her shoulder and she closes her eyes, taking a deep breath. When the weight of his hand lifts, there's an even heavier weight on her heart.

She turns to watch him walk away, wondering whether she's lost a friend –her _only_ friend.

* * *

><p>Rachel rushes into her dorm, having skipped class that morning, and instantly locks herself in the bathroom. She delves into her bag, digging straight down to the bottom to take out the brown paper bag which contains something that could change her life forever. Unable to stand up without feeling sick, she sits herself down, shakily opening the bag and taking out the pregnancy test.<p>

Suspicions had arose when her period had not come around the 24th of May and now, a week and a half later, there is still no sign of it. She's _always_ been regular and had broken down and cried when she first considered that she could be pregnant. Staring at the test, she feels physically sick, but she _needs_ to know. This isn't something that she can just hide away.

She takes a deep breath and rips open the packet with shaky hands, reading the instructions before actually taking it. As she paces around the small bathroom, she allows the odd few tears to fall. What is she going to do if she is pregnant? She's _nineteen_ –hardly old enough to be a mother. And what about Finn? There's no doubt that he'd be the father, seeing as he's the only person who she's slept with in the past few months and, upon further recollection, she doesn't remember using a condom during their final "Sex marathon". This fact worries her even more.

"Rachel!" Quinn bangs on the door and she nearly jumps out of her skin. "Let me in! I need to use the shower."

"J-just a few minutes," she yells back, her voice shaky.

She hears a groan from the girl, "what're you _doing_ in there?"

"_Nothing_!"

"…then let me in!" she demands again, adding another bang for effect.

"Actually," she panics, "I'm – um, I'm really sick and I'm throwing up. Yes – I'm throwing up _everywhere_!"

There's silence before Quinn mumbles, "eww." It's so nice to see the girl concerned about her health. "I'll just…use Santana and Brittany's shower then." Rachel gives a sigh of relief, her ear pressed against the door as she listens to Quinn's retreating footsteps. She turns, letting her body slide down the door until she hits the floor.

That was a close one.

And then she realises that it's been more than three minutes. She crawls over to the sink because she definitely _can't_ walk right now. The stick feels heavy in her hands and her eyes are scrunched together as she beckons the courage to open them.

"Come on Rachel," she spurs herself on, "this is fine. Everything's going to be fine. If you're not pregnant, great – _fantastic_ and if you are then…we'll work something out."

And, with that, her eyes shoot open and she finds herself staring at the two blue lines in front of her.

She gulps, now unable to stop looking at the image that she dreaded only seconds ago. Her whole world seems to stop and she clasps a hand to her mouth to muffle her sobs which come quick and hard.

Is this really happening?

* * *

><p>She spends the whole day in bed, her head never peeping out from beneath the cover. It's safe and warm in here, but the world outside is scary. <em>She's<em> scared. How is she supposed to bring up a baby?

Abortion is out of the question – completely and officially off the board because she could _never_ do that. For a moment, her hands move down to her stomach where she feels the flat expanse of skin. In a few months, it's not going to be like this. She tries to cry, but her eyes are tired and her throat sore from it already.

She's going to have a baby. A living, breathing little mixture of her and Finn.

Oh God,_ Finn_.

Just the thought of his name brings more pain and she clutches her pillow tight against her chest. He's going to be a father and he doesn't even know yet. But he's with Quinn – and she's just so _awesome_ and _cool_. And what's Rachel? She's a pregnant nineteen year old that hasn't even finished college.

She does the math in her head. If the baby was conceived three weeks ago, then that'll mean that the baby will be born in about January. That'll be halfway through her final year at college. And then what will she do when the baby is born? She can't be a single mother – she's going to be a _star_. How is she supposed to fill her Broadway dreams with an infant to take care of? Never mind her dreams, how can she support a baby? She only babysits part time, although she could get more hours, and she could tutor for money but that isn't enough to raise a baby on.

This is just so _hopeless_.

Maybe she could give the baby up for adoption yet her heart aches as she thinks about it.

She's in such a mess.

* * *

><p>She decides that Finn deserves to know immediately and hurries over to his dorm, hoping that Puck isn't there because this conversation could end up being even worse than she anticipates.<p>

It's kind of lucky when she bumps into him in the hallway. "Hey," she smiles a little nervously, hoping that the current strain on their relationship isn't going to get any worse, "we need to talk." She grabs his arm, pulling him towards the privacy of his dorm.

"Is this gonna take long 'cause me and Quinn are going to a party," he says slowly, following her nonetheless.

"Since when did Quinn become more important than me?" she snaps, her voice more than bitter though the hurt that floods across his face makes her feel instantly guilty. "I'll be quick, I promise." She quickly opens the door and goes to sit herself on his bed when she notices a pink handbag which definitely does _not_ belong to Finn. "That's Quinn's," she whispers, yet he manages to hear and his head snaps in the direction of the objet.

Scratching the back of his neck, he sheepishly says, "yeah, she kinda stayed here last night."

"What? Her questioning eyes fly towards him and he quickly looks away, confirming exactly _why_ Quinn had a little sleepover with him.

"So what do you want to talk about?" he changes the subject, sitting beside her on the bed.

She hesitates, unsure of whether to tell him straight or not. "So, this is kinda big."

Finn only nods and smiles, encouraging her to carry on. But, as she starts to explain, he is distracted by his phone, smiling at the small screen and giving her minimal attention. When he sees her expression, his face falls and he looks like a small boy who's just been told off, "sorry. Quinn's texting me."

"Do you _ever_ shut up about Quinn?" she barks, wanting to scream out in frustration, "Quinn's _so_ great. And I love her and we're going to be together forever," she almost yells, her impersonation of him causing his face to flush pink. "I don't _care_ about that Finn – I just want to talk to my best friend, but apparently he's too busy for me now."

"You're the one that's been ignoring me!"

"Ignoring you?" Rachel scoffs, standing up in a huff, "you barely even look at me. When was the last time we even hung out?" She watches as he struggles to come up with an answer because it's been days. "_Exactly_."

"Rachel," he sighs, joining her on his feet and he tries to pull her into a hug but she instantly flinches away.

Her eyes flicker toward the man. "_No_." She sadly whispers the next few words, "when did we stop being so close?"

Finn doesn't hesitate, "when you decided that you didn't want to sleep with me anymore!" He doesn't mean it like _that_ though his words are quickly misunderstood and hurts floods across her face, her large brown eyes staring back at him and breaking his heart.

"You only wanted sex, didn't you?" she says, "that's why you became my friend in the first place…"

"Rach, you _know_ that that's the not truth. I like you, for you!" he tries to convince her, to show her that she's more to him that just a girl that he's done the deed with. "You're awesome." She grits her teeth because she just – _ugh_, she hates that word! That's how he describes Quinn on every single chance they get to talk. Doesn't he know any other adjectives?

Before he can say anything further, she sets a deadly glare on him. "I'm sorry Finn," she says, "I don't want to watch you try and crawl out of the hole you've dug yourself in. I have to go."

He calls after her before she can manage to scramble out of the door and she turns, tears in her eyes. His crestfallen face stares after the girl, "why're you letting Quinn get between us? She's one of your friends."

She laughs, a bittersweet sound. "She was my friend," she says pathetically, "not anymore."

"W-why?"

She got you. "Something happened. I'd rather not talk about it…with anyone – especially you."

For a minute, she expects him to say more though he only nods. "Rach," he takes a step closer to her and she feels his warm hands slip around hers, "I'm sorry that you feel neglected, but I really want you to be my friend again." A sly smile slips onto his face, "I need a Rachel Berry in my life."

Rachel stares up at him, his words sinking in. He _wants_ her – not in that way but as a friend. She's been letting herself believe Quinn's warning, almost convince herself that she's not good enough for Finn and here he is, almost begging for her friendship. She's unable to hide her bright smile, encouraging him to go on. He's right – why are they letting Quinn between them? And that's when she knows that she has to tell him. "Finn, I'm – "

"Really pissed at me, I know," he cuts across, "I've been a terrible friend."

"N-no, listen to – "

He shakes his head, "you don't need to lie for me. Look, I know that you're with Jesse and I'm with Quinn, but we can still be happy, right?" He suddenly grins, "That's why I'm suggesting that we double date. Next Friday."

The man doesn't give her any chance to respond as he pulls her into a tight hug, squeezing any words out of her.

And then he's rushing off to football before she even registers what happened.

* * *

><p>She nervously bites her lip, giving a tiny wave as Jesse walks over to her and mentally preparing herself for what she's about to do.<p>

It was all out of spite, she concluded the night before, that she started to date him it's not fair to him – it's not even fair to _her_ if they carry on this lie. Her boyfriend beams at her, leaning down to place a sweet kiss again her lips, "hello darling." He takes hold of her hand, heading in the usual direction of the common rooms before she tugs him gently towards the doors.

"Maybe we could go for a little walk?" she asks hopefully.

He raises his eyebrow in question though concedes to her wishes and follows her into the warm summer day. It feels wrong, holding his hand whilst knowing what she's about to do. It's almost cruel. Rachel forces the thought out of her mind and sits down on a nearby bench, tucking her pink dress neatly beneath her and turning towards Jesse.

"You look like there's something on your mind," he teases, nudging her lightly.

"Yes," she says quietly. She feels sick.

"Then spit it out," he tells her, "we don't keep secrets, right?"

She stares up at him, wondering how he's convinced himself that they have a perfect relationship that's the envy of all around them. They've been dating for two and a half week, not _years_! And once more, she doesn't even feel that attracted to him. Sure he's good looking and he's singing voice is kinda divine, but when they kiss there's a serious lack of passion, of _feeling_ – of anything that she told Finn she and Jess share.

He's her rebound, she supposes, not that she's technically broken up with Finn but what the two shared was intense and exciting and she wishes that she could turn back time.

Let's face it. Jesse isn't ever going to be the object of her affections. She may like him, maybe really like him, but she knows that love is out of the question. Her love is reserved for few.

"Jesse," Rachel begins, her eyes filling with sadness already, "I think that we should break up." She says it all quickly before turning away from him, not wanting to see his reaction.

It's silent which is surprising because Jesse is a very _vocal_ person, in performance and life.

With much trepidation, she turns towards him, positive that she can hear each tiny movement alongside her own heartbeat. But he isn't angry. He doesn't even look remotely affected by her words. Instead, his lips curl into a smirk and he says, "no."

Her mouth drops open. "No?" she asks warily, "this isn't _your_ decision."

"Why should we break up? We're great together. You know that we're, like, the hottest couple on campus right now and people envy us." He takes hold of her shoulders, looking straight into her eyes, "Rachel, this is who we are. You and I are _supposed_ to date."

"No!" she protests, recoiling from his grasp. She won't believe such foolish things like that. Fate or whatever he wants to call it isn't going to determine her relationship status: that's for _her_ to decide. "I'm sorry, Jesse, but I don't want to date anyone. I need to be on my own for a while."

He's clearly unable to understand. "Why?"

"Because," she sighs, "I've hit a pretty big bump in my life and I-I need to clear my head, _without_ distractions."

Jesse's hands find hers and she doesn't pull away this time, only she feels nothing from his touch. "Please, I can help you. What's wrong? Are you ill?"

She hesitates, wondering whether he needs to know but, in a few months, everyone is going to know and she may as well get one out of the way now. "Jesse," she says, feeling a stray tear roll down her cheek, "I'm pregnant." Whilst it's a relief to let someone, _anyone_, know the truth and she feels a great weight lifted from her shoulders, his expression just drops the weight right back on, maybe even more.

He stares. First at her and then to her stomach.

"P-pregnant?"

His eyes bulge and that feeling to be sick returns.

Rachel slowly nods, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry that it's come to this. I just…I _can't_ be with someone right now."

"But what about your dreams? You future? You're going to throw all that away to raise Hudson's kid…" he questions.

"How did you know that Finn's the father?" her head snaps up to him.

Jesse raises his eyebrow, not as upset a most guys who've just been broke up with are, "_really_?"

She gently shakes her head, "you're not angry?" There's surprise in her voice because she kinda expected something a lot worse but, as she knows, it's barely been a monthly. He could hardly become that attached to her.

He tilts his head back as he thinks. "You are – _were_ – a great girlfriend, but I understand. And anyway, I could be dragged down by a baby. I have ambitions, you know?"

She scoffs at the thought that she can't achieve anything with a baby. Sure, she's not decided whether or not she's going to keep it, but why should that keep her from being a star? She has her whole life ahead of her. Jesse's wrong, she knows it. Of course, that doesn't entail that it won't be _harder_ because she's also aware that her dreams are a little further away – that she's have to run that extra mile to reach them.

But she's Rachel Barbra Berry and nothing is going to stop her.

* * *

><p>The urgency of needing to tell Finn begins to seep in when she's six weeks along, confirmed by the campus nurse.<p>

She sees an opening when he's playing pool with the other guys in the common room and there's definitely no Quinn to be seen, or even her cronies Santana and Brittany. She rushes into the room, her eyes set on the man before her with determination.

She's going to do it. In the new few minutes, he'll know and they'll work out this whole mess.

"Hey Rach," he smiles, not looking up from the table as he eyes the ball, potting it mere seconds later. "You ready for the finals tomorrow?" She nods – she's been ready for the past few weeks. It's almost the end of their second year and then she can spend the summer with her fathers, hopefully explaining everything to them. In all honesty, she's dreading seeing the disappointment on their faces.

"C-can we talk?" she points outside where it is significantly less crowded.

Puck smirks at her as they walk by, adding one of his signature winks, "hey hot stuff."

Completely confused, she only stares at him until Finn tugs on her arm and sends an indistinct glare towards his roommate who only holds his hands up like he's done nothing wrong. "What was _that_ about?" she whispers not so quietly to him as she links her small arm through his.

"You're probably the only single girl that he hasn't slept with," he replies, eyeing falling on her sadly, "I'm sorry about Jesse. That guy's a douche."

"I broke it off," she admits.

"What?" he frowns, "I thought that you liked him – that he was passionate or something?"

With a small shrug, she sighs. "he's a great guy but not boyfriend great. More like friend great."

"But wait," his forehead creases, "_I'm_ friend great, so you're putting me on the same level as _him_? Gee, thanks Rach."

"No!" she smiles at him, "you're best friend great. Don't ever forget it."

He flashes a wide grin. "I won't. Can I just say," he leans a little closer and, a little subconsciously, smiles a little at their close proximity, "that you are all kinds of awesome." She frowns because she doesn't want to be associated with a word that he uses for Quinn. "And I know that you and Quinn aren't exactly friend, but it's cool that you're okay with me dating her and stuff 'cause she's awesome too." Why did he have to go and bring her into that sentence?

"Really? I don't think that you ever said," she replies sourly.

"Huh?"

She chuckles to herself because maybe he's just a little clueless. "Nothing." They slip into an easy silence.

Well, they almost do.

"So what did you wanna talk about?"

Rachel tenses a little – she'd almost forget, but how could she do that? But it's clear that it's time for him to know and maybe he'll be okay, maybe he'll be happy. What if he isn't? He could be angry and hurt and never want to see her again.

Thoughts like this make her want to hide her secret forever yet one look into his sweet face and she gives in. How can she keep _anything_ from Finn? "Oh," she squeaks, "you might want to...take a deep breath. This'll be a lot to take in, okay?"

Finn gives her an odd look. "Rach?" he tilts his head to the side, "you okay?"

"I will be," she tells him, stopping and standing before the man. She holds onto his hands tightly, reassured by their touch. "I don't want you to freak out or be angry. Please just," she sighs, "just don't hate me…" She clutches onto him – not that she realises – and stares into his eyes.

The earnest flooding out of them is overwhelming and she smiles when he says, "I promise."

She takes a deep breath. She can _do_ this.

It's easy.

"Finn!"

Oh, and _of course_ Quinn has to arrive. If it's not him talking about her, then she actually _has_ to show up! Someone up there clearly isn't in favour of Rachel right now.

"I- err," he stammers.

"Go," she whispers, looking down sadly, "Quinn wants you." And Quinn _always_ gets what she wants.

* * *

><p>Morning sickness arrives by surprise and she finds herself spending the good part of an hour hunched over the toilet as she tries to calm down the nausea.<p>

She cries to herself because this is _not_ how she expected to be spending the night whilst everyone else celebrated the end of the exams. Wiping her mouth, she takes a deep, shaky breath and forces herself to stand. Her legs are wobbly and limbs weak but she manages to move over to the sink to brush her teeth.

She doesn't hear the door open or the moans from the other room until she walks in on Quinn and Finn, a few steps away from something that she does not want to see. "Oh my God!" she squeaks, forcing her hands over her eyes and only daring to peak through the fingers when she hears a soft _umpph_!

Finn's fallen to the floor whereas Quinn just looks pissed. She doesn't care though because the girl knows that she had decided to stay in today due to feeling ill and should _not_ have brought Finn back to the dorm just to have sex! "Oh, you're here," Quinn says sourly, "I thought that maybe you'd be out with some friends." She's trying to rub salt into the wound, Rachel's sure, because the blonde knows how she has a lack of close friends and her smug smile just proves it.

"I'm still not feeling well," she admits.

Finn, having regained his bearings, stumbles back onto the bed, "are you alright?" He's genuinely concerned, unlike her roommate.

She forces on a fake smile. "I'll be fine. Let me just…leave you two alone." She hates that she has act like this – she can't tell Finn what she honestly thinks of Quinn because he'll just think that she's jealous. And he can't believe that. She isn't jealous. She's _not_.

Maybe she just wishes that things were as simple as they once were with Finn. If Quinn had never come into the question, then perhaps it would be easier to tell Finn about the baby and, you know, it'd be simple as they considered what to do about their baby. They'd raise it together, but _not_ as a couple. Just as best friends who happen to have a kid.

However, add Quinn into the formula and it just creates more struggling than needed.

* * *

><p>The news comes out in a way that she really didn't want to tell him.<p>

It's supposed to be a sweet and soft moment as she announces it to him. He'll smile and hug her, maybe even kiss her. And they'll get through it because they can.

But things never seem to go her way.

She's packing in her room as the year's over and now she plans on spending the next two and a half months with her dads – maybe she could get a job over the summer to save up some money too because she'll need all that she can get.

The door opens slowly and she turns, expecting to see Quinn but much happier to see her friend. "Hello," she smiles, returning to folding up her dresses and neatly packing them into her pink suitcase. "How're you?" she asks when he appears by her side, beginning to help without her even requesting so.

"Alright," he shrugs, "I'm gonna miss you though. Do you really have to spend the _whole_ summer at home?"

Rachel takes a deep breath, halting her movements and casting a sideways glance at him. "Yes," she tells him primly, "I thought that you were going home?" She remembers him telling her how much he misses his mom

He frowns, deciding to sit beside her suitcase rather than help now. "I'm going in a few weeks for a month."

"And what are you doing for the rest of the time?"

"Errr," he scratches the back of his head, "Quinn wants me to go to her parent's house."

She feels sick and she's knows that it isn't because of the morning sickness. "She does?" Rachel asks sadly.

"Yeah and it's a chance for us to get closer," he says, "so why not?"

Maybe because Quinn's a lying, manipulative bitch who tricks people.

"…what?" he peers at her curiously.

"Did I say that out loud?" she gasps, her hands flying to her mouth.

Finn looks hurt. "Rachel, t-that's my girlfriend. I know that you don't like her but I respected Jesse when you dated him, even if that was a mistake."

"_Excuse me_?"

"Huh?"

"Finn Hudson!" she glares, "you are such a hypocrite. You gave me so much crap for dating Jesse and, as soon as I give an inkling of dislike toward _your_ girlfriend, then suddenly it's wrong?"

He struggles for words, mouth moving open and shut. "But Jesse _was_ a douche."

"And Quinn _is_ a bitch!" she says stubbornly.

"Why do you dislike her so much?"

Rachel scoffs, folding her arms defensively across her chest. "_Why_? You want to know why? Because your girlfriend had a little talk with me and she told me that us sleeping together was a stupid idea and it'd mess us up. And you know what? I _believed_ her. So I stopped it between us and everything feel apart. You started dating _her_ of all people and I started dating Jesse, but I didn't really want to." She's babbling now and she's can't stop any of the words from flowing from her mouth. Finn just sits and stares, his eyes wide. "So we were with other people and then I found out that I was pregnant and I tried to tell you – I _really_ did, but you just wouldn't stop talking about Quinn and it hurt me, Finn. I cried myself to sleep because I could do it right. I couldn't tell you and – oh crap. I…I…" She finally realises what she's just told him.

He looks shocked, as she expects, and he's sort of frozen to the spot.

"Finn?" she asks, blinking back tears. "Finn – please say something."

"You…you,"

"Yes?"

She moves the suitcase and sits beside him. The man turns to her, his moves almost zombie like. Her heart breaks for him: he looks so confused and conflicted whereas she's been dealing with this for weeks. All her tears have been shed.

"You're going to have a baby?"

Rachel nods, wiping her eyes furiously.

"A baby," he breathes, pointing to himself, "half me, and half you." She nods again, allowing the tiniest of smiles onto her lips at his words. "How did this happen?" He sounds like an innocent child.

"I-I think you _know_ what happened," she blushes.

His eyes widen again and he shakes his head, his hands finding hers, "no. How are you pregnant? Like, did we…"he trails off, clearly trying to remember the night, "we didn't use a condom. _Shit_! Rach, I'm so sorry."

"No," she shakes her head, cupping his face gently. Finn's beautiful eyes stare back at her, "it was an accident. But we don't have to let our lives stop. We have so much ahead of us. You," she smiles, "you're going to get your degree and I'm going to have mine and we're going do it whilst raising our baby. Everything is going to work out."

"But your dreams," he almost pouts, his eyes intense as they're trained solely on her. Rachel kinda wants Quinn to walk in on them, to prove that she and Finn share something which he and the blonde don't.

"They're still going to happen," she assures him, "and now we've got a dream." She places a hand over her stomach, still flat as she's only eight weeks along, "okay?"

He nods, their faces closer than ever. "Rachel," he says, "be my girlfriend."

She pulls back, caught completely off guard. "What did you just say?"

"We should be a couple – a _real_ couple."

She can only stare because it takes this, a freakin' _pregnancy_, to make him want to date her. How can he justify that? "Finn, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that we have to be together. It's not fair to the baby or to either of us."

"No," he shakes his head, "you don't understand. I've always liked you." He pulls her close and now they're only inches apart, eyes searching the other's desperately for answers.

"You _have_?"

"Rachel, I walked into a door when I first met you," he says, clearly embarrassed.

"Yes, well," she begins, "you're not the most coordinated person I've ever met…"

Finn squeezes her hand, closing his eyes for a few seconds. "You don't get it. You – I thought that you were the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen."

She lets out a small sob because there's no way that that's true. If it were, he would have pursued her a lot quicker and maybe actually taken her out on a date rather than get into her pants – or skirts, or whatever she was wearing.

"Please," he holds her against his chest and she doesn't have the strength to pull away, "date me."

She clutches onto his shirt, letting tears dampen it quickly. "I _can't_."

"Rach-"

"It's wrong," she tells him, "and you know it. Finn, I'm going to have this baby, but we're not going to be together when that happens. You're not leaving Quinn."

"She's –"

The girl quickly interrupts him with a piercing look, "she's _awesome_ and _cool_ and _great_, right?" He at least has the decency to look guilty. "And you're not going to break up with her because you got me pregnant. Right now, I don't even want to look at Quinn, but if it were the other way around, I'd be _humiliated_ if you dumped me like that."

He doesn't agree, but he doesn't disagree either.

Rachel slowly slips from his arm, drying her eyes on her sleeve. "You can be as involved as you like," she claims, "but I'd love for you to be there for the baby."

"Of course," he says, clearly determined, his face bright. "I'll be there for you both. Through the pregnancy, the birth, looking after the baby…"

She smiles, relief washing over her as she realises that she's not as alone as she thought.

"I can't believe that I didn't realise," he stares off, "you've being throwing up all week – I should have known."

"You couldn't have," Rachel says, "but now you do. Now we've got each other." She finds herself placing a light kiss onto his forehead and he smiles sadly.

"Are you still leaving?"

"…yes."

He nods, as if he knows that her answer is going to be that. After rubbing his face gently, he stands and Rachel's eyes follow him. "Can I not convince you to stay?" For a moment, she's tempted and she imagines that Finn wants to make it all up to her, but she's not going to change her plans for him. She's not going to change them for _anyone_.

"I need to tell my dads," she announces slowly, "and, as much as I'm sure that you'll look after me, I don't want to undergo the wrath of Quinn Fabray, and I'm not going to put the baby through that either. Because, let's face it, when she finds out that I'm pregnant, she's going to be pissed."

"Let me talk to her," he asks of Rachel. "I'll sort it out."

She finds herself on the brink of tears again and Finn smiles timidly. "What wrong, Rach?"

"It's just," she starts, "when I imagined this, I never thought telling you would be like this. I-I thought that you'd hate me."

And then she's in his arms again. She kinda likes it there. "Don't cry," he whispers, "I could never hate you. _Never_." When his hands slide down to her stomach, and she feels butterflies at his touch. "If you don't want us to be together then I'll just be your friend and I'll look after you – _both_ of you."

This is it. The worst part is over.

* * *

><p>Or so she thought.<p>

"You're _what_?" her father, Hiram, barks.

"I'm pregnant, daddy," she whispers, unable to look him in the eyes because _this_ is definitely the worst part. She messes with the hem of her dress, feeling scared and dizzy and sick.

She can almost _hear_ his heavy breathing, as if trying to control his anger. She imagines smoke hurtling out of his ears like in cartoons. "A boy took advantage of you!" he screeches, "who is he? I'm not letting a lit punk get away from ruining my baby's career!"

Her head snaps up, eyes wide with fear.

All Rachel can do is shake her head furiously.

"Give me his _name_," Hiram orders, body tense as he towers over her. Leroy reaches out a gentle hand to his husband. "No," Hiram says, "he got her pregnant, Leroy. She's nineteen!"

"Just hear her out," Leroy, the more understanding of her fathers, says before he smiles at Rachel, hiding his own rage.

Her father pushes his glasses up on his nose and sits down on the couch once more, his fists clenching together. He gestures for her to speak. "Daddy, Papa ," she says, already crying because they're her fathers and it's too painful to see them this upset, "I know that you're disappointed and angry. I'm so, so sorry. I never wanted this to happen but the condom broke," it's a lie but it'll save both of their backs for not being responsible enough, "and I couldn't get an abortion – I just _won't_."

"What about adoption?" Hiram asks, all seriousness in his face.

His words tug on her heart and she feels her bottom lip wobbling. "I-I…"

"You're too young to have a baby!"

"I think," Leroy starts, "that your father is worried because you're still in college. What are you going to do about classes? And feeding the baby? Who's going to even look after it?"

"I don't know," she hangs her head and she hears her father sigh, rubbing his forehead, "but I know that if I gave up my baby now then I'd never forgive myself. I couldn't go through that – missing out of them growing up. You don't have to like it, but you have to accept that there's no other option other than raising it myself."

She stares at them, begging for either to say something. Hiram is holding his head in his hands whilst Leroy just looks back at her with tears in his eyes.

"Come here," he orders softly and she quickly falls into his opened arms. She may be nineteen but her fathers turn her into the same little girl who once cried against their chests about falling during a ballet recital or missing when _The Wiggles _performed in a nearby town.

"I'm so sorry," she repeats over and over, scrunching her eyes closed shut and sobbing into Leroy's chest. He rubs her back and whispers words that she doesn't catch but they soothe her anyway. She falls asleep in his embrace, just as she had all those years ago.

* * *

><p>Things don't really improve with Hiram over the first two weeks. He's cold and distant towards her, breaking her heart. But there's nothing that she do.<p>

Her Papa tells her that he needs time because it's not every day that your daughter becomes pregnant, yet she yearns for him to be the loving father that he was when he picked her up from the airport.

Two weeks of it slowly trickles into three and then four.

And she cries herself to sleep again. He hates her because she's stupid and childish, and didn't think about the consequences at what. Well, here they are and now she wishes that she could be that little girl again – the one who would never hurt him like this. She is hurting him. Her daddy is strong and safe, but he's still human.

* * *

><p>She's convinced that she's showing. She looked it up on the internet and apparently most people start showing at around twelve weeks and she's at eleven so maybe she is.<p>

Rachel stares at herself in the mirror, her shirt lifted up so that she can observe her stomach. There's definitely a bump, right? Her stomach looks different. Of course, you couldn't tell if you didn't know her yet she can see the change.

It's almost exciting.

She calls up Finn and finds herself grinning like a fool at her suspicions and she's sure that Finn's just playing along when he says that he believes her.

Yet her mood will be dampened when she hears Quinn's voice in the background, telling Finn to get off the phone. Seriously, what kind of girlfriend is she if she doesn't even let Finn talk to his _friends_? And she is his friend, as well as the mother of his child but that's beside the point.

"She's just upset," Finn tells her. "She thinks that you got pregnant on purpose just so that I'd date you." He sighs, making it clear that he's heard this lecture a _lot_.

"That's absurd!"

He doesn't even hesitate to agree with her. "I know, but she won't listen to me."

Rachel rolls her eyes at the girl's antics and sits down on her bed, smoothing out the soft yellow cover. "She's trying to control you," she exclaims, "girls like Quinn do that."

"Please don't start another long talk about why you don't like her. I get that from Quinn's side too and if I defend you, she freaks out and if I defend her, you freak out."

She gasps, "I do no!"

"See?" he questions and she can imagine his exasperated expression, "I can't win with any girls. I should be allowed anywhere near them."

"_Finn_," she smiles, "stop being so hard on yourself."

"I'm not – really. I mean, let's use you for an example. I got you pregnant. If you'd kept well away from me then you'd be able to live your life as normal. Get a job, fall in love, get married. That's all before babies are even considered."

The girl laughs, "I've never been one for convention." Curling her legs into her side and pulling a blanket over herself, she says, "how is it at Quinn's then? Do you like it?" She bites her lips as she waits for his answer, anticipating the worst.

"Well," he says, "it's alright."

"Alright? Not great? Not _awesome_?"

He's probably rolling his eyes at her. "Will you stop that?"

"Fine," she grumbles, "but what's wrong?"

The man sighs into the phone, a forlorn sound. "Quinn's being distant. Like, sneaking off and stuff. It's making me paranoid."

"That's all it is," she assures him, "paranoia. Just…trust her, okay?" She's not sure why she's defending Quinn Fabray of all people but her words seem to calm down Finn.

"I, err, gotta go. I'll call you tomorrow, right?"

"Hmmm," she agrees, "goodnight Finn."

"Night, and goodnight baby!" She giggles to herself as he does that, hanging up the phone after it. Everything feels less daunting with Finn, and she believes that maybe they could do this – have a baby in college. Even if they aren't together. They'll still be its mom and dad and nothing's going to change that.

Yeah, maybe they can.

* * *

><p>Hiram picks her up from her babysitting job, meaning that they've got a twenty minute drive of tense silence. She hates not being able to speak to her daddy, that he probably doesn't trust her anymore either. One night and she's ruined everything.<p>

She stares down at her stomach and now, at just three and a half months, she can see the bump. It offers her comfort in times when she feels most lonely because now there's life inside her and it's beautiful and supposes that she'll never love anything as much as she does this tiny child.

"Rachel," Hiram's voice calls out, lacking in the stiffness that it's had lately.

A little taken back, she slowly turns her head to look at her father, to watch him struggle for the words. "Yes daddy?" she asks, feeling more vulnerable than ever.

His face cracks, "_sweetheart_." Her breath hitches as he uses this for her, after so many days of imagining it falling from the man's lips. "Can we talk?"

Gulping thickly, she nods and shifts her body so that she's facing him properly. His grip on the steering wheel tightens as he speaks. "I feel terrible about the way I've treated you. You…you need me and you Papa…to be there for you. _You're so young_. And I just, I can't believe that this is happening –my baby is having a baby of her own."

"I didn't mean to disappoint you," she cries because there's nobody worse to disappoint in the whole world.

"Shhh," he reaches out a hand to rub her back, though keeps his eyes on the road. Driving is probably not the best time to be having this conversation, "honey, I am disappointed, but that's okay because you know that you've made a mistake." She nods, gaining control of her breath again, "and we have to look to the future. We can't be scared anymore. I-I can't be scared."

"Daddy?" she questions. He can't be scared. He _never_ gets scared.

He sighs, his shoulders slumping. "You're my baby," he repeats, "my little girl." His thumb catches a tear from her cheek and wipes it away, "and I love you. I'm sorry for having acted this way."

"You don't need to apologise," she says.

"But I do."

"Daddy," she replies firmly, "I let you down."

Hiram offers her a smile, a chance of peace between them, "and I forgive you. Please forgive yourself."

And that's when she burst into tears. He pulls the car over and holds her until the sobs subside. Like always, he's there to protect her.

* * *

><p>She arrives back in the dorm, glad to be rid of the stares of her peers – their piercing eyes solely on her stomach. Just over four months and her baby bump is growing faster than she's like. She just woke up one morning and there it was!<p>

Rachel starts to unpack, smiling at the some of the maternity clothes that her fathers had bought her. Once they were over the shock of her pregnancy, they soon became excited at the prospect of being grandparents and took her on a long shopping spree, trying to convince her to get things for the baby.

So she now has a lot of new clothes, including a full suitcase of tiny little baby suits and clothes. When she opens it, she grins at the item which is covered in soft tiny stars – something which she's sure that she'd wear as a baby and is definitely perfect for hers.

Preoccupied with the clothes, she doesn't see Quinn standing at the door.

"It's true then?" the blonde asks, not bothering to hide the anger in her voice. "Finn really knocked you up."

She rolls her eyes and puts the clothes back into the suitcase, pushing it under the bed with her foot. "Yes!" she says, "I am in fact pregnant with his child. But don't worry because that's not going to change anything. He's still _yours_ so don't bother me with the lecture."

Quinn almost snarls at her. "You're such a slut, you know? He hasn't shut up about you, or your bastard child."

"Stop it," she warns.

"Why? I'm sure that I could take you in a fight even if you weren't pregnant," she says before shaking her head, "I just don't know what he sees in you. You're not pretty. You just look average and a nose job would do you some good," Rachel scoffs at this, "and you're too dramatic for a guy like Finn, so why is he so infatuated with you?"

She finds herself blushing. "He _is_," Quinn says, darkly looking to Rachel, "and it should be me. I was Prom Queen. Senior class President. Homecoming Queen. Why isn't that enough for him?"

"They're just titles," she says, "that's not _you_. Any girl can be Prom Queen!"

The blonde narrows her eyes.

"Finn likes me for _me_, Quinn. I don't hide behind stupid High School titles." She turns her back to the girl, "and maybe he wouldn't have wanted to break up with you if you didn't." It's a bitchy thing to do, she knows, but the words just slip from her mouth.

"What?"

"Oh," she forces on a fake smile, "nothing." Grabbing her handbag and purse, she heads towards the door with urgency, "goodbye Quinn. I'm going to go and get myself some lunch. It's pretty exhausting being pregnant. Toodles."

The smile falls from her lips as soon as she leaves the room.

* * *

><p>"What did you say to Quinn?" Finn hisses, joining her at the table as she tries to eat her pepperoni pizza in peace. Of course, she'd ordinarily tried to avoid meat, but the cravings had her up all night and she'd walked over campus in her pyjamas to get Finn to drive her to the nearest place that sold friend chicken.<p>

She finishes chewing, greedily swallowing the food. "What do you mean?"

The man rolls his eyes at her acting innocent. "She's been crying all week. Ever since you came back."

"So it's my fault that she's a mess?" she raises her eyebrows, clearly irritated by this, "maybe it was something that you did."

"Rachel," he clenches his teeth, "you told me to stay with her and I am. Now, _please_, tell me what you said to my girlfriend."

She only stares at him, shocked by the clear worry on his face for Quinn. And it's making her annoyed – almost jealous. Quinn doesn't deserve him. He's too special for her. "I-I told her that she uses that fact that she was Prom Queen to try and romance you. Sorry for being a bearer of the truth."

His brows furrows at the way she's acting and she understand because she's been a little edgy with everyone lately, snapping for the smallest of things. The new semester had started, her final year at college, and the work overload is doing nothing to help her stress levels.

At least it's not a secret anymore – not that she can hide her stomach. All of her tutors are aware that she's pregnant and taking next semester off before starting up again in the summer. And, in four and a half months, she'll have a little baby. The fact that she's half way through already hasn't really dawned on her but she suspects that it will soon.

"Why did you say that?" Finn asks, snapping her back into reality.

"I didn't think," she explains, "my baby hormones are turning me into a horrible person!"

"Don't blame it on the baby," he sighs. When she doesn't say anything else, he only shakes his head, "I can't believe you sometimes Rachel."

* * *

><p>They sit in a tense silence in the doctor's office, Rachel staring at the pictures of babies on the wall whilst he stares at her.<p>

"Will you stop it?" she finally asks.

Finn mumbles a response that she doesn't quite hear, causing the girl to groan in annoyance. But she's mostly nervous, as is Finn seeing that it's a first time to a baby appointment.

By the time the Doctor walks in, they're glaring at each other. "Hello Rachel," the older woman smiles, "and this must be the father."

"Finn Hudson," he introduces himself, offering a hand to shake.

"How are we today?" Doctor Stockman smiles brightly, showing off her white teeth.

Rachel adjusts in the seat, moving the stray hair from her face. "I'm fine," she says, "a little cranky."

"A little?" Finn says, quietly enough for just Rachel to hear and she sends a glare in his direction.

"Any cravings yet?" she questions, starting up the machine.

"Meat," Rachel tells her with a dejected sigh. It's hopeless now to even try not eating meat because she's carrying Finn's child and that's like depriving a child of toys.

Their doctor smiles and nods, "ah, yes. I hope that you've been eating it. It's important to keep up your protein for the baby." She grabs a bottle from the side, "if you can just lift your shirt up for me Rachel." The brunette follows the orders, jumping when the gel is dropped onto her stomach and lying back to be more comfortable. "Let's have a look at this little one then. You're nineteen weeks, right?"

They both nods because she's made him write out every date on her "baby calendar" – something of which they both now own, which includes appointments and days in which they'll buy supplies and, of course, the due date.

"They're looking big for just under five months," Doctor Stockman comments.

"What?" she squeaks, worry striking her down.

"Oh, it's fine dear," she smiles, "just an observation. It looks like you're going to have a big baby, judging by the father anyway." She chuckles towards Finn who blushes under Rachel's stare.

The probe is moved across her stomach but Rachel only notices the screen and the tiny human shape amongst all of the dark – their baby. It has ten fingers and ten toes, the doctor tells her minutes later. It's all curled up and small but it's hers. She made that.

She doesn't feel when Finn takes hold of her hand and she cries when the Doctor plays them the heartbeat because this is real. There's a living baby inside her. And they're perfect and beautiful and already loved so much.

"It's a she," Doctor Stockman happily tells them when they ask, "a baby girl."

Rachel loves her little girl and, looking to Finn, she can tell that he does too.

* * *

><p><em>Slut. Whore. Skank<em>

These are some of the nicer things she's been called by numerous girls around the college. She can barely walk down the hallway without people whispering about her anymore.

She just has to get used to it because it's not going to change. She's six months pregnant, she looks like a walking blimp and she has pretty much no friends. And she knows that she shouldn't complain because some people have a much worse life than she does and it's unfair for her to be unhappy, but she wishes for more.

Her grades are good, her tutors like her, yet she just wants some friends.

After a particularly gruelling class of English, she finds herself in the auditorium, staring out into the empty audience. She should be performing in here but, by the time opening night arrives, she'll be eight and a half months pregnant and definitely unable to perform.

She's giving so much up for her daughter – she hopes that it's appreciated in the future. Maybe Finn'll tell her, granted of course that he's still around. He could freak out and decide that he can't handle being a father. Whilst Rachel is certain he's not that type of guy, there's always the doubt seeping into her mind. Maybe he will _become_ that guy.

She hears footsteps entering, accompanied by loud noises and slowly stands up, with is getting pretty hard by now, to give them the space.

"Hey, you're Rachel Berry," she turns to face a boy who's in one of her classes, "I saw you in Cabaret last year. You were amazing!" He's well groomed, every pore oozing confidence and she happily returns his smile. Kurt Hummel is actually a pretty nice guy, when he's not complaining about her fashion sense of course.

"Thank you," she takes a step closer, seeing a few more people now backstage.

He nods, "I was excited about watching you this year but obviously you can't perform."

Her hands instantly move up to the bump, smoothing over it. "Sadly, no. I'll be two weeks before my due date by then."

Though she's talking to him, he still stares at her stomach and she waits for the insults, wondering which one it'll be this time.

"You know," he says decisively, "I know the perfect outfit for you."

She blinks. "What?"

Kurt beams, "oh, I'm sorry if I'm being bold, but I often find maternity clothes a bit bleak and dreary, so I designed some of my own. You know, just for fun." What _guy_ does that for fun? "and they're about your size, I'm sure of it. We could go back to my place and try them, if you like."

"I-I'd like that," she stutters.

And suddenly he's linking arms with her, announcing to the other people that they'll be back, as in the _both_ of them. "So," he smiles, leaning in closer, "is it true that Finn Hudson is your baby daddy?"

"Yes," she frowns, "why?"

"Nothing. Some of my friends are just a bit jealous. They find Mr Hudson to be quite the eligible bachelor."

"He's dating Quinn," she's quick to say.

"Nothing's set in stone," he smirks. Rachel decides that she likes Kurt Hummel.

* * *

><p>She sits in his room, her legs dangling from the edge of the bed as she watches him pack, thinking back to a few months ago when they'd been in a similar situation.<p>

"I can't wait to see her again," Finn smiles, folding his shirt in the way that she'd told him to in order to save space. "She makes these amazing cooking. You'd love them." At the mention of food, her stomach growls and she rubs her growing bump gently. "What's wrong?" he asks as soon as he notices, clearly feeling the need to worry about every little thing.

"I'm just hungry," she shrugs, "and you talking about food isn't helping,"

He grows sheepish, "oh, okay. Wanna go and get some food? I want a really big, juicy burger."

To her own shame, she wants one too.

And twenty minutes later the pair is chomping away on their respective food – Rachel having ordered two with a side of fries to calm her hunger. Finn steals another of her fries when she isn't looking and drinks his own shake. "I was worried," he admits, "I-I _am_ worried. You know, like when you pull a face if the baby kicks too hard and that look that you have when you're hungry – I always think the worst."

"Finn," she smiles appreciatively toward him, "you don't need to. The baby is perfectly healthy."

He shrugs, mumbling, "I know, but what if it's like Braxton Hicks contractions or you're going into premature labour?"

Rachel has to do a double take because she never expects Finn to know about those things. He seems to realise quickly and grabs his bag, routing through the contents. "I got this book," he explains, "and it actually helps a lot." The girl curiously leans forward to see more when he produces it from the bag. She reads the title _The expectant father _and beams, her eyes bright. "I mean, it's like everything that I'll need to know for when she's born up. It even says that we should start a college fund for her so I like started putting away five dollars a week from my waiting tables job." He flips the book in his hands, "and it talks about my emotions and stuff and _your_ emotions – how I should help you through the pregnancy…"

She stares. "Y-you read that for me? You hate reading."

The man pulls a face, his nose scrunching up lightly, "but I don't wanna screw up. I already ruined everything between us so I don't want our daughter to hate me too."

"I don't hate yo – "

"You still won't go out with me," he says, clearly slightly bitter.

She rolls her eyes, having heard this song more than once, and she takes another bite of her burger. "You're with Quinn," she reminds him because _someone_ has to.

"Can we not focus on that? How about we look at the fact that I'm now prepared for everything when it comes down to our daughter? The diapers, the growth, her development – the little diva tantrums that she's sure to throw." He gives the mother a distinct look and she pouts.

"I suppose that she'll be just as stubborn as her father."

"That's rich," he scoffs, "coming from _you_."

"I'm not stubborn! I'm just always right," she tells him, sticking her nose in the air. Finn's about to say something when she sits upright, her eyes wide as her hands fly to her stomach. He's at her side in an instant, mumbling something about early contractions and taking her to the hospital. "No, no," she shakes her head, "she's kicking Finn. Feel."

Rachel takes his hands and presses them over her bump, smiling proudly as he too feels it. It's such a strange thing, to feel her baby kick. And maybe it's a little uncomfortable too but that is completely overshadowed by the pure glee of such a small movement. She kicks again and Finn laughs, staring up at her. "This is amazing."

She nods, her hands holding onto his. The baby kicks more furiously, "she must know that her daddy's there."

Finn's face has never looked more proud, and it makes her own heart swell at the sight.

"Are you crying Rach?"

"No," she squeaks out pathetically, hands now hiding her face. She's in his embrace seconds later. "That's her," she says, "it's really her and she knows us already. I love her so, so much and now I can feel it – she loves us _too_."

He chuckles, "I heard you singing to her." Their hands somehow end up entwined, "and you looked so happy. I-it made me happy. You're so special Rach and you're going to get everything that you want – _whatever_ you want."

It takes a while for his words to sink in before she grins and hugs him tightly. "What're you doing for Thanksgiving?" he asks, "it's only a couple of days away."

She sighs, wiping her eyes with a napkin and turning to her best friend, "I don't know yet. My dads are going on a cruise. They were going to cancel but I told them to go and enjoy themselves. So, it's just me and our baby for now."

"Do you want to come to my home?"

Rachel snaps her head up to stare at him, her mouth falling open. She wants him to go home – to meet his mom. "I-I…"

Finn quickly fills in the gaps, "because it'd be cool if you could come and meet my mom 'cause, you know, she's going to be a grandmother in like, two months and she 'll want to meet you."

"Hmm, but you said that she cried when you told her that I was pregnant," she points out.

His face strains, "yeah. She stopped…_eventually_. Something about her feeling old because I'm having a kid." The man sighs, "but she's good now. Just last week she called asking whether we had any pacifiers."

She grins at hearing this, feeling a little better knowing that Carole won't dislike her. "Okay then. If you want me there, I'll come."

* * *

><p>Carole pulls her into the tightest hug she's ever had when she meets the woman and she tries to stop herself from crying into the woman's shoulder. "I'm sorry," she says, "the hormones make me cry."<p>

"_A lot_," Finn adds as he walks in with their suitcase, straining under the weight.

"It's fine," Carole smiles, the affair warm and welcoming, "I know, honey." Her arm is still wrapped around Rachel, holding the fragile girl close, "I was exactly the same way with Finn."

She smiles, already feeling comfortable in Finn's home.

His mother does everything she can to keep her guest happy. Every morning she cooks a large breakfast which, between Finn and Rachel, is quickly wolfed down.

"It's surprising to find someone who eats more than my son," she tells a slightly embarrassed Rachel, patting her shoulder gently.

"There are two of us," Rachel argues, "a child which is half Finn's."

"Don't blame this on me," he points his fork at her before scoffing down some more pancakes.

She sighs. "Well, your daughter better not eat this much when she grows up because there won't be enough food in the town for her _and_ Finn."

"Her?" Carole breathes and both look up to the woman in surprise.

"Yeah…" Finn says slowly, "I thought that I told you she's a girl?"

The woman shakes her head, instantly pulling Finn into a steel grip, Rachel grinning at how much he's blushing. Before she can do anything else, Carole's dragging her into it too, the three of them in an embrace for what seems like forever.

She feels Finn's hand close around hers.

"A little girl in the family," Carole finally grins, "oh, I can't wait!"

* * *

><p>Rachel slowly dabs her eyes with a tissue as she watches <em>The Titanic<em> for the hundredth time that week, lying on her bed with a tub of ice cream. There's a small kick in her stomach and she smiles, talking to the baby, "I know. It's really sad, right?"

She tries to get more comfortable, unable to find the perfect spot.

Everyone is out and she means everyone. Puck throws a party every year just before the Christmas break and it's something which is not to be missed. It's actually this time last year that she and Finn first hooked up and she can't help but wander back to the night, missing Finn already. He's there, with Quinn.

Her eyes are slowly closing because she's just so exhausted. She wakes up early, goes to classes, talks to Kurt a lot more, and his friends of course, and she wishes that it's easier. The baby is due in less than a month, so it's to be expected yet she hates just doing nothing. She feels lazy and, even though she knows that she needs her rest, it's frustrating not being able to go anywhere.

The door opens, causing Rachel to jump though she relaxes when she notices that it's just Finn. "Hey," she mumbles sleepily, "what're you doing here?"

The bed shifts as he sits beside her, leaning back against her pink fluffy pillow. He looks empty, upset and she sits up with concern. "Finn?"

"She cheated."

"What?" she frowns, staring at him in confusion.

"_Quinn_," he says shakily, "I – she was in Puck's bed, with _him_. They –" Rachel cuts him off as her arms fling around him, pulling him closer whether he wants it or not.

She finds herself rubbing his back, "I'm so sorry." She can't believe that she would do that, after all the effort that she went through in trying to get Finn in the first place! And how could she hurt Finn? That's like hurting a puppy! "Finn, she's not worth it."

Finn shakes his head, "she blamed it on _me_. She said that I all I talk about is the baby and you. I-I was just happy, you know? Why can't I just be happy?"

"You can be."

"But I can't!" he argues, "you don't want me, and she doesn't want me. Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like? People just _dumping_ me on the side of the road!" His head falls into his hands, as if trying to hide his shame from her. She takes hold of them, pulling them down to look straight into his eyes.

"Finn, stop it."

"But I – "

"Yes, Quinn's cheated on you. She's let you go but that doesn't mean that _nobody_ wants you." She smiles, "I want you." With his hands still in hers, she gently places them on her stomach, "and your daughter wants you too. Finn, we _need_ you."

He doesn't look convinced, "you'd be fine without me."

"I'd be _lost_," she explains, "remember when you first started dating Quinn and we weren't talking? That killed me. I never want to go through that ever again."

Finn stares at her face, so close that they can see each little detail of the other. "You really mean that?"

She nods, her eyes twinkling. His own eyes move down to her lips and she knows exactly what he's thinking. She wants to do that too, she thinks. But, as he inches close, she finds herself moving back. Maybe it's because he's just broken up with his girlfriend and perhaps she's scared, but this isn't the right moment.

Not now.

"Rachel?" he questions, trying to hide his hurt.

"You're still in shock," she says, "You just need to clear your head."

He hesitates, his voice light, "yeah. I – I guess."

…..

She stares at the tiny crib in the corner of her new room. A week ago she moved into the family housing at the college, finding herself with suddenly much more room than before, which is quite a surreal thing. For the next few months, this is her home.

Kurt's friend Blaine had helped her to put up the crib, seeing as she had no idea how to put the darn thing together and ended up crying in the middle of the floor until she had enough control to call the man over.

It's perfect, she thinks, because it's all pink and flowery and she'd love to have that if she was a baby.

She touches the mobile hanging above it, smiling as the soft melody begins to play. Her fathers had bought the crib for her. Of course, she wishes that it had come from her own money, to show that she can do this. She can raise her daughter herself.

For now, she's finished the semester and plans on completing her degree during the summer, but she wants to look after her baby. And by then Finn will have graduated and he can help too.

She's optimistic. They're going to be just fine.

* * *

><p>"Finn, I wanna go home!" she grumbles as he tries to convince her to go to the movies with him.<p>

She's three days overdue, and tired, and cranky and he wants her to actually be _happy_ about watching some cars be blown up? Her heads lulls to the side as she closes her eyes.

He nudges her, "come on Rach. It's gonna be great!"

"Go away," she mumbles, "and take me back to my home. I want to go back to _bed_."

"Fine," he sighs, "I'll take you back." Her ears prick up and she peers hopefully at her friend. "In a couple of hours."

"Oh!" she huffs, "you're so mean! Why am I even your friend?"

"Because you love me," he jokes, yet his words catch her off guard. She stares, eyebrows furrowed as she considers them.

But apparently she doesn't have any time to do that as she feels a sharp kick to her stomach, following by a trickle of something wet. She stares down at her pants, which have a dark puddle on."F-Finn," she stutters out.

When he sees, she's pretty sure that he almost crashes the car.

* * *

><p>Twelve hours<p>

Twelve long and stupid hours!

"Finn," she screeches, "if you don't get her out of me _right now_ I'm going to make you regret the day that you ever knocked me up!"

"Rach ju – "

"Do _not_ tell me to calm down!"

He shakes his head, standing a good two feet away from the angry girl, "I'm not. Of course not! I just want you to relax. Don't wanna hurt the baby, do we?"

"You should care more about her hurting _me_!" She cries, loud wails that erupt in the room.

She's never seen Finn look so scared in his entire life. "_Please_," he hears him say to the nurse, "just get her out. Rachel is scaring the crap out of me!"

* * *

><p>She feels tears rolling down her cheek. Her chest is rising and falling rapidly but she <em>did<em> it. She has a baby. Rachel's only mildly aware of Finn kissing her forehead, grinning happily as he announces to everyone that he is a _daddy_!

And then her daughter's there, safe in her arms. She has Finn's nose and her eyes, the cutest dimples on her chubby cheeks and oh – she's _perfect_. Her tiny fist curls around Rachel's finger and the girl set off in floods of tears once more, staring at the baby as though she's something deep out of her imagination.

"Rach, she beautiful," Finn says, his arm wrapped around her exhausted body. She knows that she looks horrible. Her hair is a mess, her skin with a layer of shiny sweat over the top and she can't stop smiling.

She doesn't care. "She is," Rachel agrees because he's right. Their daughter is just gorgeous. Finn runs a hand through her soft head of brown hair and smiles again.

"Do we have a name yet?" Doctor Stockman asks.

"No," she shakes her head, "not yet." They've spent weeks arguing over it, but nothing ever came out of them.

"Wait," Finn says, stopping them both, "Rach, I think that I found the perfect name. I-I know that you thought that mine we too edgy and I wanted a name that means something, a name that fits her. I want to call her Belle."

Rachel remains silent and he takes it as a bad sign

"B-because it means _beautiful_ in French and just…just look at her Rach. If there's anyone who needs to be called that name, it's her."

She beams because Finn loves this little girl already. Her large brown eyes stare up at her parents with curiosity, her tiny mouth wide open. "Belle," she repeats, "_Belle Hudson_."

"Hudson?" his breath catches in his throat.

"Well, yeah. Belle Berry sounds a little silly and," she bites her lip, "she's a Hudson."

"I love you," he blurts out, eyes so intense that she can't her own away from them. The words had easily fallen from his lips, as if he's been waiting for the right time to say. But what better time that now? When all their emotions are ripped away to nothing but pure joy and love?

She doesn't falter. "I love you too."

They seal it with a kiss, one filled with passion and hope and desperation. She wants this. She needs Finn Hudson. Maybe she's always loved him, she doesn't quite know, but her words are the truth. She can't imagine her life without him.

He pulls apart though, and tell her to get to sleep, startled as she slides Belle into his arms. "You're doing fine," she assures him, eyes already fluttering closed.

A few minutes later, he must think that she's asleep.

"Hey baby girl," he coos, "you're so beautiful and special, just like your mommy. I hope that you're just like her – maybe not the getting pregnant at nineteen… because you're not allowed near boys, not _ ever, _especially stupid boys like me."

He sighs, "I love you so much. My angel. My little Belle. God, I'd do anything for you and you're not even an hour old." He suddenly chuckles and she wonders why. "You're got your mom's smile. That what I love about her too."

"We're going to be a family," he suddenly announces, "the three of us. And, I don't know, maybe in a few years time you can have a little brother or sister but you'll have to wait for that – wait until Rachel's a star like she needs to be… she'll always be your mom first though." She can imagine his smile, "she's going to be a great mom, just you wait and see. And I'm going to do my best. I'll always be there for you, okay? Don't you ever forget! Because I love, my baby girl."

He hears her kiss Belle's forehead and then whisper, "goodnight sweetheart."

Rachel can't help it – she pops one eyes open and smiles at him.

"Were you…listening to me?"

She nods, biting her lip. "You're going to be an amazing father."

"I'd like to be an amazing boyfriend too, i-if that's alright with you?"

Finally, she gives in, not that it's very hard. "Yes, that's fine by me."

They're only young and maybe a little foolish to believe that everything will go the way they want, but she knows that they'll pull through this. Finn won't let her give up and she won't let him give up. They have a baby now and nothing else matters other than keeping her safe and happy and _loved_.

They can do that.

They _will_ do that.

* * *

><p><strong>So, I hope that you liked it.<strong>

**I have another long one-shot already started and hopefully it'll be up soon, but still feel free to suggest anything!**

**Please review :)**


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